Seven years after last title shot, Joseph Benavidez is still a title challenger – but how?

LAS VEGAS – When Joseph Benavidez takes on Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN+ 27, it’ll be the third time the perennial contender has challenged for the promotion’s flyweight title.

In September 2012 at UFC 152, Benavidez squared off against Demetrious Johnson in the promotion’s inaugural 125-pound title fight. That night in Toronto, Benavidez dropped a split decision.

Fifteen months later, Benavidez took on Johnson once again for UFC gold. Johnson knocked out the then-Team Alpha Male member in Sacramento just 2:08 into the opening round.

More than seven years down the road, Benavidez (28-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is still right near the top. On Feb. 29, he’ll contend for a UFC title for the third time against Figueiredo (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in a matchup for the vacant championship.

How has “Joe Jitsu” managed to stay relevant so long? Saturday, Benavidez was a guest fighter at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. He spoke to reporters backstage during the event and attributed his success to two factors: luck and gratitude.

“Honestly, (I’ve had) a lot of luck,” Benavidez said. “I think everything is luck. Just the fact that one person can do this and another person can do that, it’s easy to say, ‘I was able to do this or do that or worked hard.’ That’s not a recipe, you’re just lucky along the way.”

Through luck, Benavidez has found gratitude. Waking up every morning next to his wife, getting into a nice car, and driving to a world-class training facility isn’t something Benavidez takes for granted.

“My main source of longevity is gratitude, because I honestly feel lucky every day to do this,” Benavidez said. “At the end of the day, you’re just like, ‘I’m so lucky to do this.’ When you feel lucky for something, you really want to hold onto it.

“In fighting, it obviously takes inspiration. You need that inspiration every day. Sometimes you lose it if it’s just like, ‘I had a bad childhood.’ You can only be motivated by that for so long. ‘My dad was an (expletive).’ You can only be motivated by that for so long. For me, I find a new motivation with the gratitude every day.”

UFC on ESPN+ 27 takes place Feb. 29 at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card will stream on ESPN+.

To hear more from Benavidez, check out his full UFC 246 media scum above.